Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Introducing Gluten To Baby

SGWhiskers

Recommended Posts

SGWhiskers Collaborator
SGWhiskers
Posted

Since the researchers don't know the answer to this one, I thought you guys might have the best guesses.

I've got celiac. I'm assuming my infant daughter does not. The research shows that ages 4-6 months are the best time to introduce gluten to reduce the incidence of celiac. I've got a gluten free house right now but will introduce gluten to my daughter if there is any chance it might help her avoid triggering the celiac predisposition. I understand there is not a nutritional need for her to have gluten.

How much gluten do you think an infant might need for the preventive effects to kick in?

How often? (daily, weekly?)

How long? (how old before we can go back to a gluten free house again?)

Thanks for any thoughts you might have.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

I don't know the answer to your questions but I'm very curious to know where you read this research! Do you have a link to post or can you tell us where you read that?

Sammyj Apprentice
Sammyj
Posted

Why start her on something that is NOT GOOD for her, reaction or not!

Read Dangerous Grains, and find out why not. Science, NOT FDA

mamaw Community Regular
mamaw
Posted

Dr.Fasano is researching this question. He suggests waiting until age1or so.The research isn't old enough to determine if the longer wait to introduce gluten foods will prevent celiac or if it will only prolong the occurance until the child becomes older..But it is being researched...

For now I guess it is a parental choice.. But my thoughts are I would wait a long time before giving gluten esp. if a parent has celiac. I honestly don't or can't find a reason for needing wheat. There are plenty of other choices...

blessings

mamaw

organicmama Contributor
organicmama
Posted

Our children had immediate IgG reactions to casein and gluten and we didn't do anything but breastmilk until 6 - 7 months old. We had them tested due to ongoing rash issues that showed up as soon as we introduced offending foods. It was not instant, so we couldn't tell exactly which foods.

Everything I've read says to wait until at least 2 yrs old for offending foods if your children are likely to have allergies or intolerances. Early introduction makes allergy/intolerance more likely to occur, not the other way around.

Even though their bloodwork zeroed out, we are now having to remove offending foods all over again a year or two later with behavioral symptoms and eczema resulting. The blood levels were much higher than before. I truly wish I had known and waited until much later. Since ours did not outgrow these issues, they may well be lifelong.

I certainly would not introduce anything until 6 months period. The 4 month piece was added to guidelines more recently, I feel due to complaints from anxious parents more than valid research. Most children still have the tongue-thrust reflex prior to six months, indicating their body is not yet equipped to take in solids.

sreese68 Enthusiast
sreese68
Posted

(Following advice is based on my assumption that you're a first-time mom. If not, just ignore me!) Taking food intolerances/allergies out of the equation, most infants don't need solid food until 6 months. Later works, too. I fed my first child jarred baby food at 4 months, and I wish I hadn't. It was a royal pain, and I honestly don't think it helped her in any way down the line. She turns 13 next month and is my pickiest eater by far!! My next 3, I waited until they could eat table food like mashed bananas and let them go to town. One was 7 months, one 11 months (oral motor coordination problems caused the delay), and one 6 months. Bananas are supposed to be the most similar tasting thing to breastmilk, so it's a good first food.

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

Since the researchers don't know the answer to this one, I thought you guys might have the best guesses.

I've got celiac. I'm assuming my infant daughter does not. The research shows that ages 4-6 months are the best time to introduce gluten to reduce the incidence of celiac. I've got a gluten free house right now but will introduce gluten to my daughter if there is any chance it might help her avoid triggering the celiac predisposition. I understand there is not a nutritional need for her to have gluten.

How much gluten do you think an infant might need for the preventive effects to kick in?

How often? (daily, weekly?)

How long? (how old before we can go back to a gluten free house again?)

Thanks for any thoughts you might have.

I'll share what we did with my daughter and why. I knew about the 4-6month research, but had no interest in having a grain be one of her first foods. I also don't think that wheat is *bad* for anyone and everyone, and it can be a part of her diet is she is not otherwise sensitive to it.

I don't personally give her anything with gluten in it. The inlaws gave her cheerios when she was a little under one, I don't remember exactly when. My husband occasionally gives her bread or crackers he's having. I'm not so much looking for "preventative", because I don't really think that makes sense with a genetic condition that is an instance of triggering otherwise dormant genes. But I'm not looking to keep foods she would otherwise enjoy sharing with other people.

So, she gets gluten... as often as daddy gives it to her. It's probably a couple days a week at the most, and none in a week at times.

She never had baby cereal - that stuff is really just a cheap filler way of trying to give a baby iron. If you need to give your baby iron (and most breastfed babies do not need it, and you don't want to give your baby too much iron either), then give your baby iron - not a simple carb with an added vitamin. We did baby-led weaning, and her first foods were an apple (sucked on it) and sweet potato oven fries. She eats what we eat, that she's able, and I don't think we tried using a spoon for quite a while, and that has been for things like yogurt and lentil soup.

I would strongly encourage you to look into baby-led weaning. I think it's helped us avoid the "shove too much in your mouth and gag" thing (because she learned about her gag reflex early, and with foods that were so big she was holding them in her hand when she tried this). It's also helped, I think, her take ownership of feeding herself (there's good and bad to this). And it's definitely helped that I don't, generally, cook/make totally separate foods for her.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,681
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Donna Ybarra
    Newest Member
    Donna Ybarra
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.